A Pirate's Life for Me
by Ski October
Summary: Pirates of the Caribbean-Infernal Devices style. A series of drabble-ish scenes selected from the first three movies. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Why, hello there. So nice to see you all again. I know I was promising another chapter for Roarin' and a GabrielxJessamine oneshot, but I've been on a Pirates of the Caribbean rampage and I just couldn't resist. Now, I'll be going to see the newest installment next Saturday, for my sister's birthday, so nobody spoil anything!**

**The original plan was to rewrite the first three movies using the characters from Clockwork Angel. However, that proved to be very difficult for me and I decided to just do a drabble fic set to certain scenes from the movies. Once I see On Stranger Tides, I'll include drabbles for that, maybe. And who knows, I may change my mind and do a full-fledged rewrite of the movies. For now, though, I'll stick with drabbles.**

**As for who is whom, in this little world, I have a list. This list is consistant for every update.**

**William Turner - **_James Carstairs; _**Elizabeth Swann - **_Teresa Gray; _**Jack Sparrow - **_William Herondale; _**Hector Barbossa - **_Magnus Bane; _**James Norrington - **_Gabriel Lightwood; _**Mr. Gibbs - **_Henry Branwell; _**Gov. Swann - **_Robert Gray; _**Cutler Becket - **_Axel Mortmain; _**Mr. Mercer - **_Nathaniel Gray(son); _**Tia Dalma/Calypso - **_Camille Belcourt; _**Davy Jones - **_Alexei de Quincey; _**Elizabeth's chambermaid - **_Sophie Collins; _**Mr. Brown - **_Thomas (Brown); _**Scarlett and Giselle - **_Charlotte and Jessamine._

**And there you have it. Now, some side notes. I found it disturbing that Norrington was almost twice Elizabeth's age in the movie, no matter how common it was for the time period. So, in this, Gabriel will be only one year older than Tessa, making him twelve when they crossed to Port Royal and about twenty in the present time frame of the storyline. Benedict will serve as the current Commodor and then Gabriel will get the promotion and surpass him at the age of twenty. I'm not sure what I'll do in place of Boot Strap; I'm still working on that one. All of the other pirate lords, as well as Captain Teague, will remain canon. Nate and Thomas' surnames have been altered for the purpose of this story. In case you're all wondering, Mr. Brown is the blacksmith who conks Jack with the glass bottle in the first movie. **

**Now that this dispicably long author's note is out of the way-my apologies-let's get on with it.**

**DISCLAIMER: CC owns the incredible Infernal Devices characters and the world of Pirates belongs to Disney.**

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><p>She was alone. They had locked her away in a cell below deck, to be kept secret until the time of her release. She sat upon the single bench, head bowed and hands in her lap. Her hair fell in a tangle of blonde braids that spilled over her shoulders and down her back. The skirts of her dress were filthy and tattered, stiff from the spray of salty seawater. She licked her lips, running her dry tongue over the cracked skin.<p>

She wasn't sure if she should be angry or miserable or lonely. Perhaps she felt all of them. To be certain, she was far from happy. The Brethren Court had decided to release her, or so Captain Bane had told her. She knew he would do anything it took to persuade them-his current state of existence depended on it. She, of course, had little faith in his success. The Brethren feared her; feared what she could do. They understood that, were she to be freed, she would take her place as goddess once again and reclaim control of the seas. _Her _seas, not theirs, despicable blackguards.

The thought of one particular pirate crossed her mind and for a fleeting moment, her heart contracted painfully within her chest. She brought one hand up, caressing the musical heart-shaped locket that hung there. She wondered if he had kept his, too, if he still thought of her. If he missed her as much as she missed him, or did he loathe her entirely, now? She wouldn't blame him, if he did. It was all her fault. But what is one day, to a goddess? Those first ten years were merely seconds, the bat of an eye. To him, though, his love had driven him, the desire to be with her again, for that one day, had given him the determination and motivation to devote to his charge-for her.

And she had left him waiting.

She gently lifted the chain off over her head and opened the locket. The sweet music filtered out quietly, filling her cell with all the sadness and nostalgia she felt inside her heart. A single tear slid down her cheek.

_Alexei_, she thought. A pang of regret lanced through her. _I'm sorry. I did not mean to abandon you. I love you._

The music trailed off and then came to a close. But there was no silence. The song continued, a short distance away at the base of the stairs that led into the brig. Camille's head snapped up, green eyes searching for the source of the music. What she found made her heart stutter and stop, before breaking out into a frantic, painful rhythm. It was him.

He took a single step forward, bringing himself forth from the cover of the shadows and into the candle light, where she could see his face. It was still sharp, handsome in that angular way of his. The skin was moon pale and smooth-looking, but she could see the criss-crossing veins and the dark half-moons underneath his eyes. His eyes themselves were a dark charcoal in color, but where they had once sparkled with warmth and mirth, they were now bitter and cold. She shivered. His hair had paled from gold to the pigment of bones. It was longer than she recalled, hanging to his chest in pale sheets. He looked fierce and otherworldly, but at the same time weary. And angry.

That did not stop the tendril of joy from spreading through her, unfurling quickly until she felt light as air. "My sweet," she breathed. "you come for me?"

The stoic expression did not change; no emotion glittered in his black eyes. "You were expecting me?" His tone was nearly lifeless, no inflection or tremor. No undertone of anything other than indifference. Her heart thumped painfully in her chest.

"It has been _torture_ trapped in this-single form," she said, meeting his blank stare fiercely. "Cut off from the sea, from all that I love-from you."

He came closer, pausing just outside the barred door of her cell. His eyes were hard as obsidian when they stared at her. "Ten years," he said, his voice as hard as his gaze. "I devoted to the duty you charged me. Ten years, I looked after those who died at sea. And finally, when we could be together again, you weren't there."

He snapped the locket closed angrily, emotion leaking into the last three words. He walked forward until he was a hair's breadth from her, separated only by the cell door. His body trembled with fury and unbridled pain. In his dark eyes she could all the confusion and hurt and sadness he had felt since that day and guilt racked her.

"Why weren't you there?" His thickly accented voice broke, barely, but enough for her to catch it. She shook her head and looked at him with sad eyes.

"It is my nature." His head jerked back as though she had struck him. "Would you love me, if I were anything less than what I am?"

His face tightened and closed off, leaving only the bitter anger open to her. "I do not love you." he spat.

Camille's eyes narrowed. "Many things you were, Alexei, but none of them cruel." she said, searching his eyes with her own. "You have corrupted your purpose, and so yourself." she reached through the bars of her cell and placed a slender hand on his chest, right where his heart should have been. "And hid away what should always have been mine."

At her touch, Alexei gasped roughly, as though his breath had been stolen away. His chest heaved and his eyes widened. He looked down and met her eyes dazedly. He was different now, an image of who he had once been, long ago. His white hair had shortened and was now the color of golden silk, long and shining. His skin was golden brown and his eyes were once again the warm, honey gold of the past. For a moment, he could smell the brine of the sea and see the palm trees of the Isla swaying in the sultry breeze. Her could hear laughter-light tinkling and low chuckles; the splashing of feet in shallow water. He was back with her again, so in love and a lifetime away.

"Calypso," he whispered her name on a broken sigh. His calloused hand came to rest on her cheek, delighting in the feel of her soft skin. She smiled sadly and placed her hand atop his.

"I will be free," she said quietly, almost to herself. "and when I am, I will give you my heart, and we will be together always." She let her hands fall away from him and took a step back. "If only you had a heart to give."

At the loss of her hands, the magic faded and he was once again the cold, pale corpse he had been for years. He felt cold and hollow. His chest was painfully empty and suddenly he was filled with the most excruciating, nigh unbearable rage. He snarled and literally melted himself so as to pass through the bars of her prison and into her cell. His black eyes smoldered and he caught her throat in his hand, breathing harshly.

She looked at him, green eyes clouded in apprehension. "Why did you come?"

He did not answer, merely continued to stare at her furiously. She saw something flash in his eyes, but it vanished before she could identify it. Slowly, he loosened his grip on her neck until, at last, he released her. He took a step back and averted his eyes.

"And what fate," he asked, after a moment of silence. "have you planned for your captors?"

"The Brethren Court?" Camille scowled, indignant. Her emerald eyes flashed maliciously. "The last thing they will learn in this life is how cruel I can be."

Alexei nodded slightly, as though agreeing with her words, and made to exit the brig by means of ghosting through the wooden walls. But Camille caught him. "And what of your fate, Alexei?"

She hated how weak she sounded, soft and hopeful, but she had to hear his answer.

Alexei hesitated for only a moment, before murmuring, "My heart will always belong to you." He slipped through the wall and was gone from her sight.

Camille's heart was fluttering and something inside of her warmed at his words. He was still hers. She smiled and took her seat on the bench again. She fingered her locket for a moment, then opened it. She leaned back against the wall and let her eyes slip closed. She thought of another time, far away, where she ran along a white beach and splashed in cool blue waters; Alexei's laughter rang in the air and she had never felt so light.

And all the while, the locket never ceased its bittersweet song.

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><p><strong>Well, how was it? I adored the dialogue from the movies, so you'll be reading some familiar conversations. Please, leave me a review and share your thoughts. The opions of my readers are invaluable to me. <strong>

**Until next time, my dears.**

**~Anna**


	2. Chapter 2

**Another chapter, up right quick. This is the final kraken scene from DMC, where Elizabeth manacles Jack to the main mast and Barbossa returns from the dead. I'm still a bit iffy about how this turned out, but I'll leave the final judgement up to you all.**

**Something I forgot to do in the previous chapter-and I am so sorry-was thank my beta reader, Team Jem Carstairs. So, thank you, my love. Your guidance is invaluable. You guys be sure to give her work a read sometime. On another note, this chapter-which was originally supposed to be chapter twelve or so-is dedicated to The SpaceCowboy XD for being my first reviewer. She requested this scene be written, so here it is.**

**Enjoy, and please, drop a review in the box, yeah?**

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><p>"Abandon ship," Henry said, uncharacteristically solemn. The kraken would return soon, angrier than before. "Abandon ship or abandon hope."<p>

The rest of the crew agreed and set about loading the longboat with guns and some other miscellaneous supplies. Soon, the items were loaded and Jem was helping with a few last minute additions as well as assisting other members down.

Tessa turned round and approached Will, who was standing off to the side, watching the commotion in an unusually detached manner. His long black hair was mussed and matted down with dirt and blood. His blue eyes were very dark and scanned over everything meticulously. Finally, they came to rest on Tessa, who was now less than two feet from him. He regarded her with a sliver of curiousity, but said nothing.

"Thank you, Will." she murmured, giving him a small smile.

Will gave a slight smirk, eyeing Tessa as she stepped closer. "We're not free yet, love."

Tessa nodded, acknowledging the truth of his statement. Her hands fiddled nervously behind her back. Will narrowed his eyes ever so slightly.

"You came back, though." she said, locking her stormy eyes onto his. Something flickered there . . . "I always knew you were a good man."

She was very close to him now and he instinctively tilted his head downward, and waited. Tessa hesitated for half a moment before pressing her lips to his hotly. They kissed in tandem, moving fervently against one another. She drove him back toward the mast . . . And he heard a soft _click._

He froze and pulled back slightly. Casting his eyes downward, he saw that she had cuffed his left wrist to the mast. He pulled at it, but it was pointless. He was trapped. Tessa stepped back, her eyes wide.

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><p>Jem, who had turned to help Henry, saw them. He saw Tessa kiss Will. His heart stopped and his body went cold all over. His limbs felt dead, leaden weights that hindered any movement. He couldn't remember how to breathe. His mind was racing; confused, hurt. Had he done something wrong? Had he upset her so, that she felt the need to turn to Will?<p>

"Prepare to cast off!" Henry's hurried words cut through the haze in his mind. The older man had moved in front of him, blocking his view of Tessa and Will. "There's no time to lose! Come on, James, step to!"

Jem faltered, then scrambled down the ladder and fell backward onto the bench of the lifeboat. His chest heaved with uneven breaths and he felt as though the world had tilted on its axis, leaving him hanging at an odd angle. There was a ungodly pain in his chest and he clutched at it.

_How could she do this?_

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><p>Meanwhile, Tessa was still staring at Will, wide-eyed with fear and guilt. Will stared at her placidly. Resignation and a trace of amusement played on his face. He smirked.<p>

"It's after you, not the ship. It's not us." Tessa whispered roughly, shaking her head slightly. It sounded to Will as though she were trying to convince herself of this. "This is the only way, don't you see? . . . I'm not sorry." This last part was spoken with halfhearted conviction. Tessa was trembling fiercely, as though she had caught a chill.

She looked at him, leaned in toward him again. She looked, briefly, as though she might kiss him again. But she pulled away, a strong, almost angry determination in her gray eyes. Will's smirk widened to a smug grin.

"Pirate." he drawled. She shook her head one last time and turned away, making for the ladder.

Jem was there to help her down and once they were seated he eyed her with a cold gaze that made her insides knot up with fear. _Did he see? _She wondered. _Did he see the kiss? Does he know I've left Will to die? _

"Where's Will?" he asked, his voice as frigid and dead as his eyes. Panic bubbled up in her, threatened to take her under and she very nearly confessed it all right there. However, she managed to reign herself back in at the last moment.

"He elected to stay behind and give us a chance." she said, but her words sounded hollow, even to herself. They left a cold, sickly feeling in her stomach. She couldn't look Jem in the eye.

The rest of the crew looked uncertain, shooting glances between her and the rail of the ship, as though waiting to see if Will would appear. After a few minutes had gone by, Tessa looked back up at Pintel, her eyes dark and frantic.

"Go!" she barked, startling him. He jumped and quickly set to rowing the boat away from the _Pearl. _

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><p>Will, during this little interlude, had been struggling to free himself of the shackles that bound him to his ship. Sighing, as he was getting nowhere this way, he looked about the deck for something that might prove useful. He spotted a lantern, not too far from where he was standing. Smiling triumphantly, he drew his sword and reached out toward the lantern, catching it in the hook and swinging it up and over, breaking it across his shackled hand and drenching it in oil.<p>

"Come on, come on . . ." He renewed his escape vigorously, wriggling and sliding his hand about until finally it slid free. His victory was short lived, however, as the kraken had returned. It was creeping up the side of the ship, long, slimy tentacles wrapping round the sails and railings until it's mouth was level with Will where he stood on the deck.

There was a brief, but extremely pregnant pause. Then, the kraken let out an ear-splitting roar. Its nauseatingly foul breath slammed into Will, and what must have been several pounds of thick mucus encased him, all exploding from within the kraken's cavernous mouth. Will shuddered once, disgusted, but when he happened to look down, his face lit up.

"Oh!" It was his hat. It lay at his feet, like a long lost friend whose loyalty could not be swayed. He picked it up happily and, shaking some of the mucus off, placed it back upon his filthy head. He sighed, almost content. At least he balanced properly again.

The kraken was expelling more of its rank breath and Will thought he might vomit. He shook himself.

"Not so bad." he muttered, drawing his sword. He stared down into the kraken's maw and steeled himself. He put on his best cavalier grin.

"'Lo there, beastie."

He charged in boldly, all traces of fear wiped away. He brought his sword down as the kraken took him in its mouth.

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><p>Tessa watched from afar as the kraken's tentacles crawled up the sides of the <em>Pearl <em>and then contracted. The beams and planks bent and burst, cracking apart from the pressure. All of them stared, disbelieving, in shock as the kraken slowly receded into sea, taking the remains of the ship with it.

No one spoke. There was an air of shock and sadness as they rowed away, leaving the sight of the attack further and further behind. Henry was staring out to sea, his hazel eyes dull and weary. Pintel and Ragetti were silent, staring down at their hands. Jem was staring at Tessa, caught between anger and hurt and the small hope that perhaps he had seen wrong; perhaps she hadn't kissed Will. Tessa had folded in on herself, her arms tucked in close and her head bowed. The briny wind caught her hair and blew it into her face, effectively hiding it. She was so cold inside, and empty. Her chest had hollowed out. All that was left now was the guilt. A fierce, consuming, unrelenting guilt that wrapped around her like a noose, choking her and bogging down her mind. She couldn't believe she had done it. She left Will chained to the mast, with no possibility of escaping from his gruesome fate. She couldn't even cry, she was so numb.

And Jem-oh, God, Jem. How cold she ever face him now? Of course, kissing Will couldn't hold a candle to Jem, it had only been a distraction to give her the chance she needed. But she had taken one look at Jem's face and knew-he had seen. Of course he would be angry. Angry, hurt, confused. By rights he shouldn't want her. He ought to hate her with every fiber of his being. But somehow, she thought, he would never feel that way. He would love her, always, no matter what she said or did. And that made her chest ache something fierce.

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><p>It was pitch black when they found themselves floating through the bayou, toward Madame Camille's little shack. The water was filled with dark-skinned natives, each holding a single candle. Their faces were somber and the candle light cast severe shadows on them. A shiver ran down Tessa's back. She stared pointedly ahead.<p>

They docked at the bottom of the shack and Jem helped Tessa out of the longboat. As soon as she was steady, though, he dropped her hand as though the touched had burned him. Tessa was too drained, physically and emotionally, to feel hurt by his rejection. Once they were all seated inside, Camille circled round with a tray of tin cups. Tessa could hear Jem absently throwing his father's dagger into the table top. She looked up when Camille stopped in front of her, green eyes sad and understanding.

"Against the cold," she murmured, handing Tessa a cup. "And the sorrow."

Tessa stared down into the murky liquid, but did not drink. Why should she drink away her sorrow? It was all her fault, anyway. Another tremor racked her body and she bit back a groan. She had no right to complain, to expel her grief and take comfort in something. She could feel Jem's heavy, dark gaze resting on her. She did not look up.

Jem's heart was still aching at what he had seen-and he _had_ seen it, there was no getting around the fact. He still could not wrap his head around it, though. For God's sake, this was Tessa! The girl who had looked after him that day at sea, when they were only children. The girl who never stood for Gabriel Lightwood's teasing him for his Chinese background. The woman he had come to respect and admire. The woman he loved. And she had gone and kissed Will Herondale, of all people. That bloody, conniving pirate, who had put them all in danger to save his own skin. Of all the people she could have done this with, why did it have to be Will?

_What's so bad about me? _he thought despairingly. He felt weak; battered and drained from fighting. Tessa's betrayal only sank him down further. And the melancholy aura projected by the rest of the crew was doing little to help.

"It's a shame," Camille said, placing a cup on the table in front of him. "I know you're thinking that with the _Pearl_, you could have captured the devil and set free your father's soul."

Jem sighed. Another thing to add to the list. "Doesn't matter now. The _Pearl_'s gone. Along with her captain."

Henry, who had been silent up until this point, turned to face everyone. "Aye. And already the world seems a bit less bright. He fooled us all right to the very end. But I guess that honest streak finally won out. To Will Herondale!"

Ragetti raised his cup. "Never another like Captain Will."

"He was a gentleman of fortune, he was." Pintel agreed.

"He was a good man." Tessa brought her cup to her lips, but at the last moment put it down again. _You can just suffer with your guilt._

Jem saw this. He sighed, knowing that what he was about to say would kill him, but if she cared for Will . . .

"If there was anything could be done to bring him back . . ." When she did not acknowledge him, he stood, moving toward her. "Tessa."

"What would you do, hmm?" Camille appeared, looking up at him with green eyes that glittered manically. "What . . . Would you, hmm? What would _any _of you being willing to do? Hmm? Would you sail to the ends of the Earth, and beyond, to bring back witty Will and his precious Pearl?" She looked around the room expectantly.

There was a chorus of quiet, but resolute 'ayes'. She turned to look between Jem and Tessa.

"Yes," Tessa whispered, feeling a small tendril of hope wind its way through her. If she could bring Will back to this world . . .

Jem nodded. "Aye."

Camille smiled a slow, almost predatory smile that made Tessa feel uneasy. "All right. But if you are to brave the weird and haunted shores at world's end, then you will need a captain who knows those waters."

Everyone turned, confused and curious, at the sound of footsteps coming from the rickety staircase. After a moment, the person reached the bottom, stepped forward into the light of the candles and revealed his face. There was utter silence. There, back from certain death, was Magnus Bane.

Jack the monkey was curled up on his shoulder. Magnus looked around the small room, grinning madly, a hungry gleam in his green-gold eyes. His grin revealed strangely perfect teeth, startlingly white against the tan of his skin. He chuckled, low and deep in his throat, and spoke.

"So tell me," he said, his voice lilting in an accent that had always, for some reason, made Tessa think of Jem. "what's become of my ship?"

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><p><strong>So, how was it? Next up should be a remake of the crossing to Port Royal, where Will is fished out of the water. No promises, though.<strong>

**Until next time, then, dear readers.**

**~Anna**


	3. Chapter 3

**Two chapters in one day! That's definitely a record for me, I must say. I'm rather proud of myself. Once again, thanks to my lovely Beta reader, Team Jem Carstairs. I would be lost without her. Also, I've got a few more oneshots coming up, about three or four, plus a brand new fic, revolving around Tessa's life after everyone's gone. Also, I SWEAR I will get back to work on Roarin'. I'm out of school for the summer, so I've got plenty of time.**

**Now that I've gotten my ramble out, please, enjoy.**

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><p>"<em>We pillage and plunder, we rifle and loot. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho! We kidnap and ravage, and don't give a hoot. Drink up me 'earties, yo ho! Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's-"<em>

The words of the song were replaced by a gasp, when a hand clamped down upon her shoulder. Whirling round, Tessa saw that it was only Gabriel, Commodore Lightwood's youngest son. His green eyes glittered with maniacal mirth at having given her a fright. He made a noise in the back of his throat that was something akin to a cackle.

Gabriel was a twelve-year-old monster. Though he was only a year older than Tessa, he treated her as though she were an incompetent toddler he had to put up with. He delighted in teasing her and making her the target of his cruel, and often humiliating tricks. Tormenting the Governor's daughter would normally merit some sort of punishment, but as he was the son of the Commodore he always managed to come away unscathed.

"Oh, leave me alone, Gabriel." she said, scowling. She gave the boy a withering look and turned back to face the black, choppy waters. Something about the seas called to her; a dark, mysterious song. It brought a swell of adventure and wanderlust to her heart. Apparently, Gabriel was not as captivated for his attention remained locked on Tessa.

"You oughtn't sing about such things, Tessie." he said, smiling superiorly and using his bothersome nickname for her. "You don't want to bring the pirates down on us, do you?"

"Nonsense, Gabriel. And don't call me that. You know I hate it when you call me that."

Gabriel grinned. "Call you what? Tessie? It does rather suit you, I think. And yes, you'll bring pirates to our ship and they'll take you away with them for singing their song."

Tessa scoffed at him, but secretly thrilled at the idea. Oh, to meet a pirate! They could sing the song and dance and pillage and raid and drink rum by the gallon!

"What's all this talk of pirates?" Henry Branwell, one of the crew members, asked, having heard the children.

"I was only-"

"She was singing a song about pirates!" Gabriel interrupted, grinning madly.

Henry spat onto the deck. "Quiet, missy! Cursed pirates sail these waters. Don't want to bring them down on us, do you?"

"Mr. Branwell," Governor Gray spoke up, striding over to the three of them, annoyance etched upon his face. Commodore Lightwood was close behind. "That will do."

"She was singing 'bout pirates, sir! Bad luck to be singing about pirates with us mired in this unnatural fog. Mark my words." Henry swore.

"Consider them marked." Commodore Lightwood said, noncommittally. "On your way."

Henry nodded. "Aye, Commodore. It's bad luck to have a woman on board, too. Even a miniature one."

"I think it would be rather exciting to meet a pirate." Tessa protested, eyes sparkling.

Commodore Lightwood smiled down at her indulgently. "Think again, Miss Gray. Vile and dissolute creatures, the lot of them. I intend to see that any man who sails under a pirate flag or wears a pirate brand gets what he deserves-a short drop and a sudden stop."

Confused at this, Tessa spared a glance at Gabriel, silently asking for clarification. He grinned and mimed a hanging. Gasping softly, Tessa's eyes snapped back to Commodore Lightwood, horror written on her face. Governor Gray chose that moment to intercede.

"Commodore Lightwood," he said, worriedly. "I appreciate your fervor, but I, ah, I am worried about the effect this subject will have upon my daughter."

Commodore Lightwood inclined his head. "My apologies, Governor Gray." he said, moving on to see about the doings of the crew.

"Actually, I find it all fascinating." Tessa smiled.

"Yes," Governor Gray said, glancing down at her dismally. "That's what concerns me."

Tessa sighed quietly. Her father had always seriously lacked a sense of adventure and cunning. That was her mother's area of expertise. Thinking of Elizabeth Gray, who had passed of a fever, made Tessa's chest ache and so she quickly banished the thoughts, turning once more to face the sea. She heard Gabriel trying to tell her something-probably prattling on about pirates-but the words were lost when something in the water caught her eye.

It was a parasol. A lovely parasol the color of buttercups with eyelet lace for trimmings. It was floating in the water, handle up. Tessa stared at it, trying to figure out what a parasol could possibly doing out in the middle of the sea. Where was the lady who owned it?

She opened her mouth to call Gabriel over and show him, but froze immediately. There, yards away from the parasol, was a large and broken plank of wood. On it was a young boy. He wasn't moving.

Heart pounding, Tessa cried out, "Look! A boy! There's a boy in the water!"

Gabriel was at her side in seconds and the rest of the grew gathered at the starboard side, clustering at the rails to get a look at the boy.

"Man overboard!" Commodore Lightwood shouted, startling the crew into motion. "Man the ropes, fetch a hook! Haul him aboard!" The crew rushed about the deck, scurrying for ropes and struggling to get the boy on to the ship. At last, he lay on the deck, quaking and sputtering. "He's still breathing."

"Mary, mother of God!" Henry exclaimed, staring off into the distance. Governor Gray and Commodore Lightwood, along with the rest of the crew, turned to look as well. There, not fifty feet from their own vessel, was the site of an obliterated ship, gone up in flames, great pillars of fire licking up the charred wood. Smoke rose in billowing clouds, mingling with the mist.

"What happened here?" Governor Gray demanded.

"It's most likely the powder magazine." Commodore Lightwood answered. "Merchant vessels run heavily armed."

"Lot of good it did them," Henry muttered. At the stern look Commodore Lightwood threw him he said, "Everyone's thinkin' it, I'm just sayin' it. Pirates."

Governor Gray chuckled nervously. "There's no proof of that. It was probably an accident."

"Rouse the captain immediately!" Commodore Lightwood shouted. "Heave to and take in sail! Launch the boats!"

"Theresa," Governor Gray pulled his daughter aside. "I want you to accompany the boy. He'll be in your charge. Take care of him?"

Tessa nodded and moved toward the boy, only half hearing her father tell Gabriel to help the crew comb the wreckage for survivors. She knelt down beside the boy, who was shivering where he lay in his soaked clothes. His face was pale and angular, almond-shaped eyes slanted in a peculiar way. She reached up to brush back a stray strand of black hair, and gasped when his hand shot up to grab her wrist. His slanted eyes were wide open and Tessa found herself marveling at their dark, almost black, color.

"It's all right." she crooned, gently prying his hand from her wrist. "I'm Tessa Gray."

The panic in his eyes dimmed some and he relaxed, lying back down. "J-Jem Carstairs."

Tessa smiled softly, stroking back his hair. "I'm watching over you, Jem." The boy nodded, seemingly comforted by this knowledge, and let his eyes close, slipping away into slumber. She continued to run her fingers through his hair, until a glimmer underneath his shirt caught her gaze. She carefully pulled it out to have a look and found that it was a medallion. A perfectly round, golden medallion with a skull carved into its center. And then it clicked inside her mind.

"You're a pirate," she whispered, one half of her horrified, the other intrigued. Then a tendril of dread crept its way into her mind. She recalled the Commodore's earlier words about what he would do to pirates. She couldn't let that happen to Jem. She wouldn't. She had just safely tucked it away in her bodice when Commodore Lightwood appeared, peering down at Jem over her shoulder.

"Has he said anything?"

"His name's James Carstairs," she blurted hastily. "That's all I found out."

Commodore Lightwood nodded, satisfied with her answer, and turned to the sailors behind him. "Take him below."

Once they were gone, Tessa made her way back to the bow of the ship and, after looking to make sure no one was watching her, pulled out Jem's pirate medallion. The gold gleamed dully and the metal was cool to the touch. A shiver ran down her spine. There was something strange about this medallion . . . She held it up in front of her, hoping for some sort of clue.

Then she saw it. The mists parted, revealing a large ship with black, fraying sails that was moving away from them at a strangely fast pace. Tessa stared at it, wondering who would have a ship like that. She saw the flag, caught in the sea breeze and studied it. Black, with a white skull and crossed swords. Tessa blinked, but it was still there. A dark, uneasy feeling settled itself in her stomach and she knew. It was a pirate ship, and from the stories Henry had told her, it wasn't just _any_ pirate ship.

It was the _Black Pearl._

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><p><strong>What do you think? I'm not at all plesed with the ending, but I wasn't feeling much like writing her waking up and getting the dress and whatnot. Next chapter, Captain Barbossa reveals to Elizabeth the Aztec curse!<strong>

**Until then, dear readers.**

**~Anna**


	4. Chapter 4

**Tada! -presents chapter with flourish and abundant hand waving- The revealing of the curse, as promised. I know I skipped the bit where she's being thrown and slung around the ship by the crew, but that was difficult to write and I think I did okay without it.**

**Thanks to my awesome Beta reader, Team Jem Carstairs. You are amazing.**

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><p>Tessa paced back and forth restlessly through her cabin aboard the <em>Black Pearl.<em> Her head was aching and her mind was racing. She had to get off this ship. But how? They had to be at least ten miles from Port Royal by now, and there were too many crew members about to risk stealing a longboat. Just as she began her umpteenth circuit around the small room, the door opened to reveal the two pirates who'd brought her to Magnus Bane - Pintel and Ragetti.

She did not like the way they were leering at her. Looking at Pintel's grimy hands, she noticed he held a swath of fabric the exact color of red wine. Pintel noticed her look and her it out to her, revealing it to be an evening gown.

"You'll be dinin' with the captain," he said, his voice gravelly and unpleasant. "And he requests you wear this."

Tessa shot him a haughty look. "You may tell the captain that I am _disinclined to acquiesce to his request_."

"He said you'd say that," Pintel grinned viciously. "He also said that if that be the case, you'll be dinin' with the crew." His grinned turned positively lecherous. "And you'll be naked."

Tessa huffed and snatched the dress away from him, giving him a look as if to say, _"there now, how about that?"_ and his face flattened in annoyance.

"Fine." he said, clearly miffed, taking his wooden-eyed crony back the way they had come, leaving Tessa alone to dress herself.

Fifteen minutes later, Tessa found herself seated at a large wooden table in the captain's cabin, staring down at a lavish feast. When her plate was sat down in front of her, Tessa took up her cutlery and carefully sawed off a small bite of pork, sliding it into her mouth and chewing slowly. Magnus watched her intently.

"There is no need to stand on ceremony, nor call to impress anyone." he said lightly. "You must be hungry."

Tessa paused for a moment, staring down at her meal. She gave in, though, picking up the pork leg with her hands and tearing off a large bite. She took a bite of bread crust and swallowed the mouthful, not without difficulty.

"Try the wine," Magnus said, handing her a brimming goblet, watching as she took a healthy gulp and picked up another bread crust. "And the apples, one of those next." He held out a ripe, green apple to her.

Tessa only stared at him, suddenly wary. The bread crust fell from her hand an onto her plate. She looked afraid. "It's poisoned." she whispered, horrified.

Magnus's lips quirked up at the corners. "There would be no sense to be killin' ye, Miss Carstairs."

"Then release me!" Tessa cried, mildly exasperated. "You have your trinket, I'm of no further value to you."

Magnus looked at her for a moment, then took out the medallion, holding it up for her to see. "You don't know what this is, do ye?"

Tessa shrugged. "It's a pirate medallion."

"This is Aztec gold," he said, cat eyes gleaming. "One of eight-hundred and eighty-two identical pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortés himself. Blood money paid to stem the slaughter he wreaked upon them with his armies. But the greed of Cortés was insatiable. So the heathen gods placed upon the gold a terrible curse. Any mortal that removes but a single piece from that stone chest shall be punished for eternity."

Tessa looked at him skeptically. "I hardly believe in ghost stories anymore, Captain Bane."

Magnus nodded. "Aye, that's exactly what I thought when we were first told the tale. Buried on an Island of Dead what cannot be found except for those who know where it is. Find it we did. There be the chest; inside be the gold. And we took 'em all. We spent 'em and traded 'em and frittered 'em away on drink and food and pleasurable company." As he spoke, he had begun to move about the cabin, pacing agitatedly. "The more we gave 'em away, the more we came to realize: the drink would not satisfy, food turned to ash in our mouths, and all the pleasurable company in the world could not slake our lust. We are cursed men, Miss Carstairs. Compelled by greed, we were, but now we are consumed by it."

There was a sudden light in his eyes that made Tessa's stomach clench in apprehension. When he wasn't looking, she slipped a butter knife from the table and folded it in her skirts, keeping her eyes on him as he talked.

"There is one way we can end our curse. All the scattered pieces of the Aztec gold must be restored and the blood repaid. Thanks to ye, we have the final piece."

A cold feeling settled in Tessa's belly like a leaden weight. She realized now why he wouldn't let her go. "And the…blood to be repaid?"

Magnus grinned a most feral grin. "That's why there's no sense to be killin' ye. …Yet." Casually, he picked up the apple from earlier and held it out to her. "Apple?"

Tessa gasped and leaped up from her seat. Magnus was suddenly in front of her and she held the butter knife aloft. He snarled. She spun away and tried to run, but he only caught her by the arms and whirled her round to face him. Without stopping to think about it, she drove the knife into his chest and then staggered back, eyes wide and chest heaving.

Magnus merely pulled the knife out, examining the bloody blade before looking at her, almost amused. "I'm curious - after killin' me what is it you plannin' on doin' next?"

Tessa could only stare at him, eyes alight with abject horror, before she cried out and ran to the doors. She threw them open, only find the deck full of skeletons. The entire crew was bathed in the moonlight; their clothes like tattered rags and their skin replaced by filthy bones. She staggered backward, petrified with fear, and fell right into Magnus, who placed a firm hand under her chin and held her to him, forcing her to look out at the monstrous pirates.

"Look!" he whispered harshly, and she jerked against his grip. "The moonlight shows us for what we really are! We are not among the living and so we cannot die, but neither are we dead. " His hand moved to her arm and he twisted her around to face him. "For too long I've been parched with thirst and unable to quench it. Too long I've been starvin' to death and haven't died. I feel nothing," his gaze softened with pain. "not the wind on my face nor the spray of the sea, nor," his voice dropped a measure and he reached a slender hand toward her, which she stumbled away from. "the warmth of a woman's flesh."

His hand, along with the rest of his body as he stepped into the moonlight, lost its skin. It melted away until all that was left behind were the bones beneath his clothes. He grinned maliciously and brought out a bottle of the red wine he had fed her. He yanked the cork out with his teeth and took several long drinks. Tessa watched, sickened, as the wine spilled down his bones, staining them a dark red. He cast the bottle aside and looked at her with dark amusement, licking his lips slowly. Tessa's eyes were wide with terror. She bolted past him and back into the cabin.

Magnus only grinned and turned back to face her. "You best start believin' in ghost stories, Miss Carstairs. You're in one." He slammed the cabin doors closed and Tessa could hear his cruel laughter mingle with the roar of his crew. She cowered in the far corner, curled in on herself. She wanted to go home, she should never have left with those scoundrels.

Forcing down a shudder, she squeezed her eyes shut and thought, longingly, of Jem.

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><p><strong>So, how was it? Reviews are love! ...That said, I've just set myself up to feel decidedly <em>un<em>loved. Nice. Also, i've misplaced my list of scenes to rewrite, so I can't tell you what scene I'm doing next. You'll just have to let it be a surprise . . . **

**Until next time, dear readers.**

**~Anna.**


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